After the eighth year is the year. After eating the porridge of Lapa Ba, on the ninth day of the first year, I embarked on the way home. Previously, the cousin at home had urged several times on the phone, scolding: "Is the work too busy?" Or have you forgotten home? "Home will not be forgotten." It's just true that I haven't been home to visit Grandma for more than a month.
From the city, the further you go toward home, the cooler the temperature. But my heart is getting warmer and more excited. When you reach the Yawu Mountain, large areas of rape flowers bloom brilliantly. By this time, my brain had already instructed my hands and feet to park the car on the side of the road, and the wind gently brushed my cheeks and brought the scent of trees. After taking a few steps, I found a large open space on the other side of the road where villagers were plowing the ground to plant potatoes. Herons gather in flocks and rows, waiting to hunt...
Walking through the small river in front of my house, facing me was my family's "Xiao Shun" (Xiao Shun is a small black dog, formerly known as "Shun Lai", its name was taken by my grandmother herself). Every time I came home, Xiao Shun was always the first to find me, and he wagged his tail high around me, looking very "flattering". It also likes to accompany me everywhere to visit the door, naughtily chasing the chicks hanging out in the village along the way.
At home, Grandma baked the sun in the yard, and the table was basking in the persimmon cakes she had made with her heart in November. Although she baked the sun, she was not idle in her hands, while cutting lettuce, when she saw me, she told me that the persimmon cake could be eaten, and fried lettuce in the afternoon.
After a short break and a drink of home spring, I changed into cool slippers and prepared to "show my fists" to pick up. I first carried the quilts of my grandmother, parents, my brother and other people to the stone slabs in the courtyard to dry, and then I removed all the pillowcases and quilt covers in the house and cleaned them. Today, my washing machine must be as busy as I am. In my memory, my brother and I had a clear division of labor in the waxing moon. Basically he was in charge of dusting and cleaning, and I was responsible for washing clothes and bedding.
Taking advantage of the midday sun, accompanied by the stirring sound of the washing machine, I brought a basin of hot water, took a piece of Baoshan soap, and helped my grandmother scrub her back. Grandma was a clean-loving old man, and although she was 93 years old, she only smelled of soap and sunshine.
After the washing machine stirred three times, Grandma helped me find a hook and two hanging baskets. Yes, I'm going to take all the laundry sheets that have been stirred up in the washing machine and go into the river to rinse them. Although tap water has long been brought to the home, and although washing machines have long replaced manual hand washing, I am still accustomed to taking these large sheets to the river to rinse. "Xiao Shun" has long been waiting for me at the door of the house, perhaps because of the early purge this year, today's river is only me and Xiao Shun. In the memory of the Waxing Moon, there are always people who wash things in pairs by the small river, washing vegetables upstream, washing clothes downstream, sometimes a group of little girls chattering, sometimes three or five aunts and aunts talking and laughing...
After a few big breaths, I was out of breath and finally carried the load of clothes home to dry. Looking at the sun-dried clothes in the courtyard, a sense of accomplishment suddenly emerged, which is the fruit of my labor today! At this time, my cousin and cousin had already drunk tea in the courtyard and said that they would ask me to go to the street to buy tonight's food. My cousin said he was going to show his cooking skills tonight and let us feast.
From the street to the end of the alley, we bought the green onion, ginger, coriander, millet spicy we needed, although it was not the street day, but the street stalls were full. There are those who sell Spring Festival, those who sell fireworks, those who sell small vegetables, those who sell meat... Complete range. The children frolicked in the crowd, occasionally set off a few cannonballs, frightening the little girls next to them with a scream... Seeing this, my heart became warmer and warmer, and this is what I remember as approaching the New Year!
Admittedly, my cousin was a real chef. His sauerkraut fish and chicken soup were well received by everyone. But he was a somewhat demanding chef who needed a few hands-on skills, and today I was given the task of washing condiments and dishes, my cousin shaving spices and dishes in the fire, and even my grandmother was involved in helping to peel a few garlic. In the future, if I have the opportunity to cook, I will also find several starters, and the dishes that come out of this way will not be bad!
The bright night is cold, but for us who sit by the fire and roast the fire, tonight is not cold. By the fire, brew a lot of black tea, eat a few roasted oranges, roast a few sticks, chat about home cooking, unconsciously it is late at night...
At night, lying in bed, I heard my grandmother's steady breathing, and my thoughts were full of flying...
It was an ordinary and fulfilling day. Over the years, the warm hours of light in each waxing month have often appeared in my memory and filled my entire life. It is also these trivial and ordinary times that whenever I think about it, my heart will warm up.
Source: Tengchong Cultural Creation